1 Samuel 15:22
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.
At various times I have been referred to as Mister, Reverend, Pastor, Minister, Preacher, and while in the Air Force, by the rank I held at the time. My mother never gave me any of these titles. She just stuck me with the name, Cecil Adrain Thompson. I sure wish she had not done that!
Getting back to the titles, I am bemused by the number of people that send off for some supposed degree that will confer a title such as those mentioned above. I must confess that I spent some years earning mine, but I fail to hold tightly to them. I would just rather be known as, Cecil.
In this passage, from 1 Samuel 15:22, Saul has failed to obey the specific instructions of the Lord. He is arguing with Samuel about how he wants to sacrifice the best of the animals captured from the Amalakites to the Lord. That was not what the Lord had commanded. He had ordered the complete eradication of the enemy. He wanted Saul to obey rather than bargain.
How many times have we found ourselves trying to bargain with God instead of obeying what we find in the Word of God. The Holy Spirit directs us in a particular direction, but we go our own willful way and then want God to bless us. Nope! It just will not work that way. He demands obedience. He just wants us to obey. Trust and obey, there is no other way!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil